TE In Route. College Football 27 Red Zone Tip
The TE in route is one of the best red zone routes in the game. Simple to set up. Works out of almost every offense. And if you can green catch. You're scoring.
Here's everything you need to know.
---What Is the TE In Route?
It's a hot route adjustment. You take a tight end, or any big body, and put him on an in route that runs across the back of the end zone. Pair it with a return route on your slot and outside receiver and you've got a layered look that's hard to defend.
It's not a specific play. It's a setup you build on top of whatever play you call. That's why it works in almost any offense.
---When Should You Use This Route?
Red zone. Two-point conversions. Any time you're close to the goal line and need a throw over a defender.
A few things to keep in mind before you run it:
- Not your best option against match coverage. If the defense is in match, this route loses a lot of its value. Know what you're looking at pre-snap.
- Don't force this every play. The red zone is one of the hardest places to pass in this game. Run the ball in. Use this when you need it. Not every single snap.
- Best when you have a tall tight end or big receiver. Height matters when you're throwing over defenders at the back of the end zone.
How to Set Up the TE In Route
Formation doesn't have to be exact. Here's a clean example to get started:
- Formation: Gun Wing Trips
- Play: Post Curl
The actual play matters less than the adjustments you make after.
- Pick your tight end - someone tall. Big body. The kind of guy who can win a jump ball.
- Press wire triangle, select your tight end, then select in route.
- Tap wire triangle again, select him again, then hold left bumper and use the D-pad to motion him across the back of the end zone.
- Return route your slot receiver.
- Return route your outside left wide receiver.
That's the full setup. Takes about ten seconds once you've done it a couple times.
---How to Throw It Correctly
Almost always highball this route.
When your tight end is running across the back of the end zone, there's usually a defender underneath him. If you throw a normal ball, it gets picked or batted. Highball it. Put it up over the defender. Make your tight end go get it.
Once you highball it - possession catch. If you can do both, you've got a realistic shot at a green catch, which is exactly what you want.
The one exception: if you have really good leverage, meaning your tight end is wide open with no one close, you don't have to highball. Use your judgment. But when in doubt, throw it high.
---What Can Go Wrong
A few things will happen and you need to know about them before they frustrate you mid-game:
- Your tight end might run out of the end zone. Sometimes he hits the back corner and turns downward instead of sitting. That's just how the route behaves sometimes. It's annoying. It's the cost of running it. Adjust your timing when that happens.
- Don't spam one guy. If you throw to your tight end every single play, the defense adjusts. Mix it in. The return routes on your other receivers exist for a reason. Use them.
- Don't throw it into match coverage. If you're seeing man-match looks, find a different play. This route was built for zone situations where the tight end can sit in a soft spot.
How to Make This Harder to Stop
The TE in route works best when the defense is already worried about something else. A few ways to build pressure around it:
- Be a run threat first. If you can run the ball inside the 10, the defense has to account for it. That opens up the back of the end zone. A reliable run play or RPO from your passing formations forces the defense to respect both. Which means softer coverage on your tight end.
- Layer your routes. The return routes on your slot and outside receiver aren't decoration. If the defense overplays your tight end, those guys should be open underneath. Read the field. Don't just stare at one guy.
- Don't always motion the same direction. Defenses read tendencies. Change the side you motion to. Keep them guessing where the big body is going.
Quick Recap
- Hot route a tall tight end to an in route
- Motion him across the back of the end zone with left bumper + D-pad
- Return route your slot and outside left receiver
- Highball it, possession catch, go get your green catch
- Don't spam it. Don't force it against match coverage. Run the ball too.
That's it. It's not complicated. Run it, practice the timing, learn when to highball. And you'll score with this route.